"Fetish Fair Flea Market" causing a stir in Warwick

WARWICK, RI - The Crowne Plaza in Warwick hosts a variety of events throughout the year. One, however, hit social media the week before it's big annual debut and garnered a lot of attention; both good and bad.

The Fetish Fair Flea Market, known as NELA, will open at the Crowne Plaza hotel beginning Friday, February 17th and run through the weekend. The event is advertised online as “the largest and lowest-cost event for bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, or sadomasochism.”

Many residents nearby, after hearing about the event, told ABC6 News they didn’t like the idea of it hosted in Warwick. They said they didn’t know about it until this year.

"Never too late to learn huh? And I’m 81 years old,” said Barbara Silvia, a woman living with her husband on the street across from the hotel. "I don't have good feelings about it."

Another woman living close to the Crowne Plaza said she believes it’s held too close to where children are often seen. "I think that it's probably an event that's better put somewhere else, instead of right near an Elementary school,” said Diane Carosi. "I do not want my son knowing that it's there. At all."

Abc-6 did speak to an employee at the crowne hotel who worked the fetish fair flea market two years ago.

"It’s just some people that have, not a strange fetish, but they're just a little out there,” he said.The young man was then cut off by a manager who was less than enthusiastic about the publicity.

Warwick police told ABC6 News Thursday night that they will be monitoring the event just as they do every year.They added that they have not had any incidents in the past.

Many people online who defended the event argued; If you don’t like it, don’t go.